The man many of us knew as Tarzan, the man who fought lions and crocodiles, and flew through the trees on vines, was just as extraordinary in real life as the character he played in the movies. He was a superstar long before he became Tarzan. It was the roaring 1920’s and the man who would become Tarzan was a swimming phenom winning 5 Gold Medals, 3 in 1924 at the Paris Olympics and 2 in 1928 at the Amsterdam Olympic Games. He was the first person to ever swim the 440-yard freestyle in under 5 minutes, won 52 U.S. National Championships, set 67 world records, and as far as we can tell was never defeated in competition.
All this despite contracting polio at age nine.
While the world over knew him only as Tarzan, his real name was Johnny Weissmuller.
His family immigrated to the United States from Serbia in 1905 when he was only seven months old, eventually ending up in Chicago, Illinois.
After winning Gold, Weissmuller appeared as himself in several movie shorts which were shot in Silver Springs, Florida and included other Olympic Champions as well.
Then in 1932, Weissmuller won the part of Tarzan in “Tarzan the Ape Man.”
Weissmuller tells of wanting to meet Clark Gable on the MGM studio lot. However, when he arrived they wouldn’t let him in. Weissmuller begins, “So some kid came along and said, ‘Hey they got 75 guys on the back lot – they’re making a test for Tarzan – go back and make a test and they’ll let you in the studio.’ So, I made a test.” Weissmuller continues, “So I got to get on the studio (lot) and got to meet Clark Gable. And, I knew Greta Garbo. And so, I was ready to go home. And they called me over -- a week later and said -- you got the job as Tarzan.”
MGM handlers wanted to change his name 'til someone spoke up saying, “you know who that guy is, he’s got all the world’s records in swimming.” The director responded, “Well that’s wonderful. Let him have his name and put some swimming in the picture.”
The rest is history.
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